The last week of spring camp has arrived.
With the spring game looming on Saturday, head coach Ryan Day joined the media for his weekly Zoom press conference on Monday morning. He provided the latest updates on Ohio State's progress, which you can find below.
A bullet-point rundown of Day's comments:
Ryan Day
- "I think a lot of guys are getting better because we're practicing." He says this stretch of practices that Ohio State has had recently is "where you get better" as a team. "Guys are getting better across the board."
- Why Marvin Harrison Jr. lost his black stripe so quickly: "A lot of discipline. Excellent attention to detail with his routes. Someone who cares a lot." He calls Harrison a "freshman with a long way to go" but someone whose early impressions have been "excellent."
- Day says Dwayne Haskins and Justin Fields were "excellent" in the red zone, so they know how important that is for an offense.
- He says big-bodied targets are important in the red zone. "(Jeremy) Ruckert's a big target down there." ... "It's always an area of emphasis, but we do have some good targets down there."
- On the movement on the offensive line in practice: "We move guys around all the time." He says versatility is a "huge value for us."
- "We do like the fact that Paris (Johnson) is making great progress at guard."
- What Garrett Wilson and Chris Olave are working on: "Playing on edges, being more physical, attention to detail and route-running, finishing plays with the ball, spacing out routes in zone. There's a lot of areas there. Blocking – huge."
- He's pleased with the team's focus and energy this spring. On his team: "I think the biggest concern I would have is in terms of playing the game, we missed a whole half of the season last year."
- On summer workouts coming: "We've got to hit the ground running. We can't lose any days, any weeks as we move into August."
- Asked about TreVeyon Henderson: "He's got a good attitude. He's got a good work ethic. He's done everything right thus far." He says "the talent is there." ... "Excited to see what he looks like during the spring game."
- On spring ball: "It's been such a focus on fundamentals and techniques and not really so much about anything else." In the second phase of the spring, they've started to do more situational work.
- Day says this year's spring game will be broken up into two teams for at least a half. They'll decide whether they actually tackle in the middle of the week. In the second half, it'll be "more of a controlled scrimmage atmosphere."
- On the quarterback competition: "Guys have had good days. Guys have had not-so-good days." He says they "need a million reps."
- On Eddie George becoming Tennessee State's head coach: "I saw that yesterday. I was really excited for him." He says George "will do great." ... "I think a lot of young men will be impressed with his background."
- Asked about Jaxon Smith-Njigba: "He had a good year last year, but now he has to take the next step." Smith-Njigba has had a "good, solid spring" and they want him to have a "great summer." Day has been impressed with his blocking, which was a focus. ... "He can do so many great things, he just needs to be more consistent."
- Day stresses the importance of Olave, Wilson and Jeremy Ruckert understanding they have to be unselfish with all of the talent on the team.
- He says Nicholas Petit-Frere, who missed Monday's practice, will be back soon.
- On the depth at offensive line: "I feel great. Feel great. I feel like we have really good depth."
- Day says they've heard about possibly being able to bring in official visitors in June and work them out on a one-on-one basis.
- On the spring game having fans: "Thank goodness that we're able to get some people in the stands." ... "I know our guys love that because they're all show-offs. That's what I call them." He says they're hoping to get "a packed house here when Oregon comes to town."
- The faster players can create skill and discipline, Day says, the faster guys will be able to become impact guys at Ohio State.
